I quickly recorded a rough version of this March 7 of this year after a particularly difficult day with Pickles. I had read some time last year an internet piece I liked but didn’t understand at the time how important it was, and don’t have the link on hand. The crux of it was that one of the most important things parents (and other adults) can do is show kids that we’re having fun. That life isn’t just a slog of work and chores. And this isn’t a “you’re a bad parent if you can’t afford to take time off” message — it’s a, “your kid may literally have no hope for the future if they think they’re destined to a life like yours and you’re always visibly miserable.” The other, rather radical side of this, if you or your children are concerned about climate change, or oppressed, is to stand beside younger generations in their fights for what the future should be — so that their lives can be *better* than ours if we’re struggling.

The original version had more stuff about 1-finger arpeggiators (it almost made sense) and my son’s mental health, but with basically the same chorus. I wanted to take out the personal stuff about Pickles’ struggles but I did want to share this message with other parents. If you have a similar neurotype, and struggled as a kid but figured out how to be happy-ish, tell your child! I benefited from hearing this from my father.

If you know anyone you feel would benefit from this message, you have my permission to share this mp3 and the text of this post. But I'm keeping it subscriber-only on here because I don't want absolutely everything to be freely available publicly.

Other news: the kickstarter is slogging along at 78% funded now with almost 3 weeks left to go. Hooray, and thank you!!